mail transfer agent
The mail server program, such as Postfix, Exim or Sendmail, that accepts mail and passes it on towards the recipient's server over SMTP.
In more detail
Each provides a sendmail command, so scripts and cron can send mail the same way on any of them. It hands local mail to a delivery agent.
Related terms
- mail user agent — The program a person uses to read and write mail, such as mail, mutt or Thunderbird.
- mail delivery agent — The program that stores an arriving message in the right local mailbox, such as Postfix's local delivery or procmail.
Taught in
- Mail Servers: Aliases, Forwards And The Queue — LPIC-1 Linux Administrator (101-500 and 102-500) Exam Prep